Tenant Contact Information
Finally, you are in charge of the building. You can call yourself “the landlord.” First thing on your checklist is to collect your new tenant’s information; you will need to be able to contact them.
The first and most important thing to remember is that you must smile. Always, always smile.
Worry not, for collecting information from tenants is quick and easy, usually. You are in charge, and you must remember this. Do not forget that you are the boss. That being said, don’t be a jerk either. Be firm, fair, and friendly. Do not forget these three Fs.
Carry confidence in your voice and stand erect. Landlords who lack confidence or who are easily intimidated will not find themselves in the right career path; tenants will think they can walk all over you.
Tenants like, respect, and desire a landlord that knows what he is doing; they desire a landlord who is in control of the situation. Be sure that you are coming off like this. Also, don’t forget to smile.
When you go to ask them for their information, it is easy. Just ask them. There is nothing more to it. Occasionally, you will get a suspicious tenant, who thinks you have some elaborate plan which you just need his information to accomplish. Explain gently the reasons why you need his information to him, and you should get it without problem.
You can ask them if they would like to be told about a creep outside their window or a fire when asking for their cell phone numbers or work numbers.
Tell them that you need their social security numbers so that you can tell the credit agencies about their on-time payments. This helps you, too, because you will wan to check their credit. You must check their reliability. Be sure to smile, too.
If you encounter any resistance, let them know that it is for their own benefit. If they do not want to give out their phone numbers for fear of receiving harassing or telemarketing phone calls, assure them that you will take every precaution you can to keep their number from getting out. And, be sure to smile.
If you just cannot get the information out of them, forget it. It is not worth fighting with them.
You can ask other sources, the previous landlord, etc. for their information. You can, without much effort, find their information from other sources.
After you get their information, put it away in a safe place. Congratulations! That was not too bad, was it?